


SKAM SEASON 4: SANA

by Julieseven



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Bullying, Eid ul-Fitr, Girl Drama, Girl Power, Girls Kissing, Girls in Love, Moroccan Food, Mother-daughter-love, Multi, Ramadan, father-daughter-love, girls supporting girls, muslim girl struggles, real talk, russebus, supportive friendships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-11-15 00:27:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 13,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18063098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julieseven/pseuds/Julieseven
Summary: My own version of the 4th season of SKAM. Updates will be posted in real time.This is a re-post: I originally posted the season in the fall of 2017, but have decided to repost it in real time this year.





	1. "TRAILER"

**Author's Note:**

> Let me say first: I love love LOVE the forth Season of SKAM! I don't want to discredit Julie Andem's hard work by writing my own version of Sana's season, not at all! However, I can't deny that I think there was some potential in there that wasn't fully used, which is why I wanted to write a story about Sana myself, in the form of "clips" and text message updates.
> 
> This work is a gift to the family I chose, the worldwide community of SKAMily! So many of you have helped me through tough times, made me smile and laugh and all of you are very close to my heart! I feel so loved by all of you and hope to give some of that love back with this work!
> 
> Come find me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/julieseven) if you want! I like all kinds of feedback and love discussing ideas and theories!

Sana doesn't like to pretend. She always says what she thinks, without giving a shit whether or not anyone approves. Haters are gonna hate, and Sana has learned to ignore them. And whenever it does get too much, no wave of anger is too big that a long basket session can't smoothe it over. 

However, every barrel overflows one day, and when Sana finally snaps, her actions cause a Domino effect of events that no one could have foreseen ...

 


	2. GLOSSARY for EPISODE 1

**Astaghfirullah**

Arabic for “I beg Allah’s forgiveness”. Used in situations where you just did something you’re sure Allah doesn’t approve of.

**Insha’Allah**

“If Allah wills it”, or “God willing.”

**Maghrib**

The early evening prayer, the fourth one of the day.

**Adhaan**

Call to prayer. It is usually performed by a "Muezzin" who calls from one of the "Minaretts" (towers) of a mosque to remind people it's time to pray. In western countries that isn't done, so Sana has an "Adhaan" app on her phone.

**Wudu**

The ritual washing before prayers. You wash your face and hands and if possible also your feet three times before praying.

**Makkah**

The sacred city of Islam where the Kaaba stands. Muslims always face that direction when praying.

**Kaaba**

Muslims believe that the Kaaba was the first house built for humans. Therefore it’s believed to be the place where creation began.

**Surah**

A verse of the Holy Quran as well as a verse of a prayer.


	3. EPISODE 1: Sunday, 7th April, 13:16: Thanks Isabel

Nothing takes your mind off everything that bothers you like shooting hoops on your own. You can totally forget everything around you, it’s just you, the ball and the basket. The steady, rhythmic sound of the ball hitting the concrete makes you feel grounded and confident, and just - like yourself. It’s shortly after midday and thankfully, you have the court to yourself.

 You are just about to take off your hoodie - the spring sun is warming you up, besides, you’ve been here for almost an hour - when you hear several male voices approaching. Sure, you’re wearing a long shirt under your hoodie, but the last thing you want is boys seeing you take off a piece of clothing. You don’t need that sort of comments today - not when you’re having such a good day.

 The boys are on the court now. All three of them are rather tall and wearing tight tank tops that show off their rather muscular upper arms. You allow yourself to look at them for just a bit too long, until one of them catches your eye. Quickly turning away, you close your eyes and shake your head. _Astaghfirullah._

 You adjust your hijab and grab your ball, quickly making your way to the gate on your side of the court. The boys are talking to each other animatedly and thankfully, none of them looks over at you again. Digging your phone out of your pocket, you take a deep breath and check your messages.

 

_From Noora: “Are you still coming?”_

 

You slap your palm against your forehead. _Fuuck!_ Playing basketball made you forget you had agreed to help Isak move out of the kollektiv and Noora to get settled in her old room again. Luckily, you spot your brother approaching your house the second you look up.

"Elias," you call out, and your brother stops, turning around to face you. "Are you going home?"

 "Yes, why?" your brother frowns and you shove your Basketball into his arms, smiling queasily.

 "Can you please drop that off in my room? I gotta go somewhere."

 Elias is about to toss your ball back at you but you turn around and walk away. "Thank you," you call over your shoulder, ignoring your brother's protests.

 You see a tram approaching and break into a run. A minute later, you’re sitting on the tram, panting slightly, and type a quick reply to Noora.

 

_To Noora: “Sorry, took the tram in the wrong direction, am on my way.”_

 

Feeling a pang of guilt at the lie, you put your phone back in your pocket. Losing track of time is not something that happens to you often, which makes it all the more embarrassing when it does. But lying is not something you like to do.

 With a deep sigh, you tap on Isak’s contact on your phone and bring it up to your ear. He picks up after the second ring.

 “Hei.”

 “Hei, sorry to disturb you, I just … I completely forgot I promised to help you guys move,” you blurt out right away, but Isak merely chuckles.

 “It’s okay, we’re already done,” he laughs again. “I don’t have much stuff anyway, and we already moved Even’s stuff yesterday with his parents.”

 You sigh and lean back in your seat. “Is Noora very mad at me?”

 Isak giggles and you hear Even laugh next to him as well. “Are you kidding? Noora just got her room back, she’s the happiest she’s been in six months.”

 You both giggle at that.

 

 “No seriously, Sana, the girls are in the kitchen celebrating. Just go and join them.”

 

 “Okay, thanks Isabell,” you tell him, making him chuckle again.

 

“No problem, Sanasol. Also, if you want to come by after school tomorrow to help us unpack …”

 

“Bye, Isak,” you laugh and hang up the phone, feeling much better already.

 

You arrive at kollektivet a short while later. Eskild buzzes you in and meets you at the front door. “Welcome, welcome, come join us in the kitchen.”

 The girls are all gathered around the kitchen table and cheer when you walk in. “There you are,” Noora says, and you’re glad to notice she doesn’t sound irritated.

 You hug everyone hello and apologise to Noora for being late.

“It’s okay, there wasn’t that much to do anyway. Plus, Vilde was late, too, she only arrived ten minutes ago.”

 “I was busy fucking,” Vilde says without even blinking, making you stare at her in shock.

 “Uh, what?” you ask, staring at Vilde in disbelief. “Don’t tell me we’re talking about your sex life again?”

 Vilde crosses her arms in front of her chest, looking slightly annoyed. “What, why can’t I talk about my very fulfilled sex life with Magnus? I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and it’s like you don’t even care, Sana.”

 You sigh deeply, clearing your throat. “I do care, it’s just … I don’t need to hear the details of what you do in bed every other day.”

 Vilde takes a deep breath but before she can say anything, Eskild jumps in.

 “I agree with Vilde, talking about sex is very important.” He walks up to her and wraps an arm around her waist. “I for one am very glad Vilde is getting laid on a regular basis, and you’re always welcome to talk about it.”

 You have to suppress a groan. “I just think sex should be something nice between you and Magnus, and not something the whole world needs to know about, Vilde.”

 The room goes quiet and you instantly wish you hadn’t said anything.

 Vilde sighs dramatically and blinks a few times before she replies.

 “I understand it’s hard for you to hear us talk about sex since you can’t have it, but …”

 “I _can_ have sex, Vilde, I just _choose_ not to,” you snap at her, regretting it the second the words leave your mouth. _Why do those conversations always end up being about me?_

 Thankfully, Noora clears her throat, stopping Vilde from saying anything else that might make you react aggressively. “Does anyone want tea?”

 Both you and Chris look at her gratefully, and you’re glad to see Noora smiling compassionately. “Yes please,” you reply and walk over to help her.

 Chris then asks the others if they have any idea what they could do on the weekend, and a minute later, the conversation is light again.

 

At least until Eva clears her throat and sits up straighter. “Alright, I have to say something.”

She throws an insecure look in Noora’s direction, making everyone frown.

 “What is it, Eva?” Vilde asks curiously, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Eva sighs deeply before she goes on.

 “Okay, so you guys know I’ve been … hooking up with Christoffer for a while?” You all nod and something in your gut tells you you’re not going to like where this is going.

 “Well, the last time I saw him, he said something that kind of - shocked me. He visited William in London like a month ago, and apparently, he has a new girlfriend.”

 Eskild gasps and puts a hand on Noora’s shoulder. “Oh my God!”

 Vilde’s eyes go wide and Chris’ jaw drops, and you just feel a wave of anger washing over you. _That fucking bastard._

 Noora however just smiles slightly and puts her hand over Eskild’s, craning her neck to look up at him. “It’s okay.” She looks over at Eva, reaching out for her hand as well, as if it was Eva who needed reassuring. “I swear, it’s okay. I didn’t exactly expect him to wait for me or to come back some day.”

 “Still, you always said you weren’t really broken up,” Eva croaks and you realise she’s fighting tears. “I’m so sorry, Noora.”

 Noora just shakes her head and crosses her arms in front of her chest, still smiling bravely. Her eyes however give away that she’s hurt. She doesn’t want to be, but you can tell she is.

 “Don’t be. I was the one who left. I should have expected that William will move on.” Leaning forward, she takes both of Eva’s hands in hers. “Thank you for telling me. It’s good to know.”

 After that, Eskild offers to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate “Noora’s new freedom”, which Eva and Chris happily agree to. You keep an eye on Noora however, and you notice that she doesn’t look anyone in the eye anymore.


	4. EPISODE 1: Monday 8th April, 17:02: Not your maid

You've just closed the front door behind you when the sound of laughter coming from the living room makes you roll your eyes. For a moment, you consider hiding in the kitchen, but then you hear _his_ voice.

“What do you wanna say to people who can’t hear?” Yousef asks and you can’t help but smile to yourself.

_Even his voice is cute, damn it._

You take off your jacket and hang it up, then walk over to the dresser in the hallway and touch up your lipstick, trying not to scowl at your reflection. Taking a deep breath, you stuff the lipstick back into your pocket and then walk through the hallway, carefully approaching the doorway to the living room and peering around the corner.

Your brother Elias and his friends Adam, Mikael, Mutassim and- your heart skips a beat when you see him- Yousef, are huddled together on the couch in front of Elias’ laptop, chattering and laughing in direction of the webcam, apparently recording a video. You remember Elias talking about making a v-log with his boys a few months back already. It seems they finally decided to actually do it.

You watch them silently, your eyes lingering mostly on Yousef. He’s taller than the other four, and his eyes sparkle every time he laughs. Other than Adam and Elias, whose voices always sound like badly-tuned trumpets, Yousef speaks softer, and yet the boys always listen to him. And his hands - damn, his  
hands are so beautiful. Long but still strong fingers, which emphasise every word when he talks about something that matters to him.

The boys are all talking at the same time, gesturing at the screen. Mikael is apparently showing off his limited skills in Norwegian sign language, making the other four laugh at him. A part of you wants to inerrupt them to say that at least Mikael knows another language than Norwegian and butchered Arabic. But the rest of you just wants to keep watching Yousef run his fingers through his hair...

 

Maybe that's why you don't notice Elias pausing the recording before he clears his throat.

“Hello little sister.”

You jump slightly and straighten up, glaring at your brother in hopes of hiding your blush.

 

“Hello boys,” you say confidently and step into the living room. Your brother is frowning suspiciously at you, however you still can’t help but look at Yousef’s face again. His face lights up with a bright smile when he sees you, making your heartbeat speed up a little.

“Aren’t you helping your friend move?” Elias asks, getting to his feet.

“That was yesterday, Elias," you groan, rolling your eyes at him. "Try keeping up with the days of the week, brother,” you add, making Yousef giggle quietly.

“Did it go okay?” he asks softly, and you nod, smiling back at him.

“Well, it’s good you’re home, cause you could make us some dinner,” your brother says then, making you scoff.

“Are you out of your mind? You've been sitting around all day, I was at school. Cook for yourself, I’m not your maid.”

Elias grins at you and if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear there is a hint of pride in his eyes.

He sighs exaggeratedly and throws and apologetic look at the other four before turning back to you.

“Alright, do you know when Mamma is coming home?”

“No, haven’t seen her since this morning,” you reply, trying not to sound too indignant. Your brother annoys you to no end as usual, but you don’t want to seem like too much of a bitch in front of Yousef.

Elias gives an annoyed “tsks” and turns back around to Mikael, Adam and Muttassim. “Boys, since my lovely sister will not cook for us, it appears we must starve.”

The boys - except Yousef, who looks a little embarrassed for Elias’ sake - all drop to their knees and pretend to be dying, convulsing exaggeratedly and making choking noises. Mutta crokes: “Noo, Sana, why are you letting us die?”

You groan exasperatedly and throw your hands in the air. “See you later, boys.” And with that, you walk back to your room.


	5. EPISODE 1: Monday 8th April, 18:23: You go, girl!

 

 


	6. EPISODE 1: Tuesday 9th April, 17:19: Off limits

Closing the door to your room behind you, you drop onto your bed with a relieved sigh. After an already long day at school, yo went shopping for a new outfit for summer training. Although you hate shopping, you’re happy with your choice: You found a black-and white long-sleeved shirt with Stephen Curry’s Jersey number printed on it, and matching black pants made of light material that shouldn’t make you sweat too much.

With a big sigh, you sit back up and are just about to take off your hijab when you hear five male voices coming from the backyard, laughing and shouting. You already know it’s the boys, but what makes you get up are the sounds of what must be a basketball hitting the ground. Elias doesn’t own a basketball, and you doubt that any of his friends do, either.

“Oh no, you didn’t,” you grumble and rush over to your window, checking the basket in the corner where you keep your ball. And sure enough, the ball isn't there. You pull the curtains aside and instantly spot your brother and his four goons, throwing YOUR basketball back and forth between them and heading towards the playground behind the house.

 

You close the window with an angry groan and rush out of the apartment. By the time you reach the playground, the boys are already trying to play. None of them know what they’re doing, of course. When he sees you approaching, Elias instantly drops the ball, holding up his hands in defense.

“I swear I would have asked had you been home!” There is a trace of panic in his voice, which almost makes you smile with satisfaction.

You scoff and catch the ball bouncing towards you. “You’ve obviously never heard of texting? Besides, you know my ball is off limits either way, particularly for morons who don’t know how to play anyway.”

The boys howl collectively, and Adam murmurs “Ouch”, making a face as if he’d been hit in the groin.

“Don’t get arrogant, little sister, I taught you everything you know about basketball,” Elias says, and that just makes you laugh.

“What are you talking about, mamma plays basket better than you!”

 

That makes the boys howl with laughter, and you have to force back a smile when you see Yousef giving you an approving nod.

“Ah, now you’re just being mean, Sana,” Elias groans, putting a hand over his heart while pulling a grimace. “Come on, I’ll challenge you to a one-on-one, up to eleven points, what do you say?”

The boys laugh again, and Mikael touches Elias’ shoulder, his expression a mix of concern and amusement. “Dude, no offense, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you want me to do that to you in front of your boys,” you agree with Mikael, grinning slightly. Yousef barks out a laugh and winks at you, and you hope to God he doesn’t hear your breath catching in your throat.

You already know Elias is not going to let this go, so you add: “If I kick your ass, what’s in it for me?”

 

Elias grins and licks his lips. “I’ll be your slave for a week if you win. But if I win... “ both you and the boys chuckle at that, making Elias raise his voice a little. “If I win, you’ll be mine, making me food, bringing me stuff and so on. For a whole week.”

You nod with an approving grin. “Sounds good to me. Go ahead.”

Now the boys are properly howling and whistling, and Elias laughs confidently, as you throw the ball back to him.

 

It doesn’t last long.

Elias scores on his first try, but so do you, and after that, he misses the basket three times in a row while you dunk the ball easily every time. Your brother catches up then by scoring four out of five times, but you don't miss at all. The score is 9:5 in your favour now, and your brother is about to give up, so you decide to be a little mean and miss on purpose two times in a row. Elias scores in between, which makes him cocky.

“Turns out I’m not as bad as you think, eh little sister?” Elias laughs when he manages to score a second time.

You don’t even bother saying anything but simply run up to the basket and dunk the ball in a particularly elegant jump, making the boys cheer and clap. Elias misses again on his next try, and then you dunk the ball in for the 11th time.

The boys clap and cheer, and Yousef points his finger at Elias, laughing at him. “You honestly thought you could beat Sana, man, I can’t believe it.”

He winks at you again, and you’re glad you didn’t look at him while playing. The expression on his face is full of warm admiration and you wish the other boys weren’t here so you could talk to him alone. Although - knowing yourself, you’d probably choke up and not say anything.

“Thank you, brother, I look forward to you being my personal chauffeur for a week,” you tell Elias and put a hand on his arm. Your brother pouts for a second but then gives you a defeated smile and puts his arm around you.

“I accept my defeat, sister. You are indeed the best player I know. Congratulations.”

You can’t hide the blush on your cheeks as you smile at your brother, feeling proud of him. Elias may be a fool and a bit too full of himself sometimes. But he is not a sore loser.


	7. EPISODE 1: Wednesday 10th April, 15:36: No plans

 

In a strike of good luck, yours and your friends' last class was cancelled last minute today, so the five of you decided to go out for ice cream before going home. You're sitting on a bench on Teaterplassen, each of you holding a cup with two flavours.

 

“I love ice cream,” Vilde declares and digs her spoon into her cup with a delighted grin on her face.

Eva nods in approval as she does the same. “Yep, it’s the best part of summer, definitely.”

All five of you are sitting on a stone bench at the harbour, basking in the afternoon sun and enjoying the first cups of ice cream this year.

“Can I try some of your chocolate ice cream?” Eva asks you with fluttering eyelashes.

You chuckle slightly and hold out your cup to her. “Sure.”

“Thank you,” Eva giggles and loads a small piece of chocolate ice cream onto her spoon.

“So, what are we doing this weekend?” Chris asks from the other end of the bench, looking bored.

Vilde sighs and shrugs. “I have not heard of any good parties yet.”

Noora grins at the four of you. “I could just cook Paella for all of us at my place on Friday?” she suggests, making Chris shake her head.

“No offense, Noora, but I think I need to meet some hot guys. If I don’t get over Kasper soon I will lose my damn mind.”

Eva frowns at Chris, clearing her throat. "What happened to 'I've kind of had it with men'?"

Chris pulls a face and shrugs, pushing another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "Eh, I changed my mind. Sex is vital, after all."

The two of them burst out laughing and you suppress a groan, already fearing Vilde is about to overshare again. Luckily, Vilde surprises you for once.

“Ah, that's great Chris. I’m sure you’ll find someone soon and be happy like me," she trills, grinning broadly at Chris, who just shakes her head with a disgusted expression.

"Nah-ah, no relationship for me, not at the time anyway."

 

Vilde is about to say something back, but Eva holds up her hand and lets out a frustrated groan.

“Yes, Vilde, we know you’re happy.” She licks her spoon clean before adding: “Do you remember that it was _you_ who gave Chris shit when she spent all that time with Kasper last year? Look at you now.”

Vilde rolls her eyes at Eva. “I am the _only_ one of us who’s never had a boyfriend, so why don’t you just be happy for me?”

You feel a sting in your heart at Vilde’s words. _What about me?_ It hurts that your friends seem to think that just because you’re muslim, having a boyfriend is out of the question for you.

To distract yourself and to direct the conversation back to a subject you’re comfortable with, you turn to Noora. You are just about to tell her you like the idea of her cooking for you guys when you hear a “ping” from your phone. You had told Elias to let you know when he’s in town so you could decide whether or not he should pick you up. Digging your phone out of your pocket, you do see a text from him, however with unexpected content.

 

_Elias:             You didn’t tell me you had such pretty friends. Are you bringing them to our party on Friday?_

 

Rolling your eyes, you look up, and sure enough, there they are. All five boys are walking towards you with matching grins on their faces. _Fucking hell._

For a second, you consider telling the girls to run for their lives, but Vilde has already spotted your brother and his friends.

“Wow, speaking of meeting hot guys, Chris ...” She motions towards the boys with her chin and you wish the ground would open up beneath you and swallow you whole.

That doesn’t happen of course. You close your eyes for a moment and when you open them again, Elias and his friends have stopped in front of the bench, all five of them watching you and your friends with intrigue written all over their faces.

“Hei Sana,” Yousef says shyly, and you try to smile at him without looking into his eyes, which proves to be impossible. So instead, you turn to glower at your brother.

“What are you doing here?”

“Walking in the city, which I believe is not illegal - yet,” your brother laughs and you roll your eyes at him. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” he adds after a moment.

With a deep sigh, you wave your hand at the boys. “Girls, these are my brother Elias and his friends. Boys, these are my friends. Now, can you leave?”

 

But of course, Elias doesn’t get the hint or - more likely - deliberately ignores it. He walks up to Noora and stretches out his hand to her. “Hi, I’m Elias, what’s your name?”

Noora smiles back and shakes his hand briefly. “Noora, hello.”

Elias introduces himself to Vilde, Eva and Chris in the same way and the rest of the boys follow suit, all of them grinning at you with a mix of pity and glee. Except for Yousef, who somehow seems to be a little embarrassed as well, laughing nervously every time he says his name.

“So, I suppose you girls have the rest of the day off too?” Elias asks and looks at all five of you in turn, making you scowl.

“No, we are actually just about to head back to school, Elias,” you grumble at him, hating everyone and everything.

Your brother chuckles slowly and rubs his hands together. “Good, good. So, do you have any plans for Friday yet?”

 _Oh boy_ , you think, closing your eyes and hoping you’re about to wake up from a very bad dream. Unfortunately that’s not the case, and before you know it, Elias has invited your friends to a party on Friday.

“Awesome, we will pick you up on Rådhusplassen at 8pm.” Elias is way too excited for your taste, and to make it worse, all four of your friends are definitely interested. You have to suppress a groan when you catch Vilde staring lustfully at your brother. _No, please GOD, no!_

 

You consider telling your brother he has to stay away from your friends since he’s your slave this week, but you know that will only postpone the disaster. “Where should I pick you up later, sister?” Elias asks after shaking your friends’ hands again.

“Forget about it,” you growl at him, making him grin broadly.

“That’s what I thought. See you at home then.”

And before you can hiss an insult at him, he’s thrown an arm around Yousef’s shoulder and disappeared with the boys around the corner.

 

“Wow, you didn’t tell me your brother was seriously hot, Sana!” Vilde sounds almost offended, and for once, you can’t bite back a remark.

“I don’t exactly think of my own brother as hot, Vilde. Also, don’t you have a boyfriend?”

Noora nods slowly with an indifferent expression on her face, but Eva wraps an arm around your shoulder and taps your nose with her finger.

“I can’t believe YOU got us into a party with some hot boys, Sana! Aoooooh!”

You just frown at her. “Don’t count on my brother keeping his word. They’re perfectly capable of not showing up. So don’t hold your breath.”

Vilde just giggles and gets up to toss her ice cream cup in the bin next to the bench. “Don’t be rude to your own brother, Sana. I’m sure they will be there.”

You turn to Chris, the only one who hasn’t spoken since the boys walked away. She grins queasily at you and licks her spoon clean. “Hey, I know it sucks that we’re hanging out with your brother, but I promise you I won’t hook up with him.”

That makes you laugh and you reach out to bump your fist to Chris’. “Thank you, I’ll take your word for it.”


	8. EPISODE 1: Wednesday 10th April, 18:47: Aye captain

_**Chris** _

 

_For realz, girl: Would you mind if I hit on_

_one of your brother's friends? I swear I_

_won't even think about it if you don't want_

_me to! Sisters before misters and all that!_

 

_It's your decision, really. My brother's friends_

_are all idiots though. Be warned._

 

_I guess you have to think that since they_

_hang out with your bro, eh?_

 

 

_I find them pretty funny at least._

 

_Honestly, do what you have to do, but I_

_wouldn't recommend falling for any of_

_them._

 

_Aye captain, I'm not planning on_

_that anyway._

 


	9. EPISODE 1: Wednesday 10th April, 19:11: Works for me

**Noora Defense Squad**

 

_Vilde:           Girls! Noora just got a message from Mari_

_from third year. She is selling her group's_

_Russebus and asks if we're interested?_

 

_How much do they want for it?_

_Noora:          Too much, we can't afford it. They_

_are selling it for 300'000 kroner!_

 

_Chris:           Wow, how big is that thing? And what's_

_it made of, solid gold?_

 

_Vilde:           I still think we should talk about it?_

_Eva, can we meet up at your place_

_tomorrow?_

 

_Eva:             I can't host again, like, ever.  My_

_mum's still mad about that party last year._

 

_Chris:         Ouch._

 

_Noora:        You can all come to my place. Eskild_

_will be working and Linn never leaves_

_her room anyway._

 

_Vilde:         Sweet, so shall we say, four thirty tomorrow_

_at Noora's?_

 

_Chris:         I have German tutoring until four, but I'll_

_try to make it._

 

_Works for me._

 

_Eva:          Yes. Noora, should we bring anything?_

 

_Noora:     Just your lovely selves, Eva, that will_

_be enough._

 

_Chris:    Oookay then._

 


	10. EPISODE 1: Thursday 11th April, 16:43: Don't wanna jinx it

Vilde is just about to call Chris, when the doorbell rings. Noora goes to answer the door and moments later, she comes back with Chris in tow. Chris is panting slightly and mumbles “Sorry, missed the tram”, and doesn’t look any of you in the eye. You’re pretty sure Chris “missed the tram” just like you “took the tram in the wrong direction” on Monday, so you give her a reassuring smile once she sits down next to you on the couch in Noora’s living room.

“Alright, now that we’re all here,” says Vilde with a thin smile in Chris’ direction. “What do you think of Mari’s offer?”

Noora just shrugs and pours herself a glass of water from the decanter on the table. “I don’t see what we have to discuss. We can’t afford the bus, and I don’t think we’ll get 300’000 kroner together until we graduate. We’re just five people.”

Eva nods slowly. “Yeah, we have barely 50’000 kroner.” She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and then frowns at Vilde. “How big is that thing anyway?”

“It has space for 25 people,” Vilde says, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand. “Mari’s bus group was bigger than ours.”

She then turns to Chris, who is reaching for some crisps and looks at her with a thoughtful expression. “I mean, I might get my hands on a pretty cheap bus, I just gotta talk to my uncle.”

Vilde stares at her, looking excited. “Really? What kind of bus?” Chris munches on her crisps, pointing to her mouth. You take the opportunity to chime in.

“I agree with Noora and Eva, we can’t afford to spend money we don’t have. Besides, a bus for 25 people is too big for us anyway. Can anyone even drive a bus of that size?”

Noora shakes her head, putting her glass down on the table. “I don’t even drive at all.”

“Neither do I,” you add with a smile at Noora.

“Me neither,” Eva says. “I think the only one of us who can drive is Chris, right?”

Chris nods with a cheeky grin. “Yep, but the biggest car I’m allowed to drive is a Minivan, not a 25-seat bus.”

Vilde bites her lower lip. “Okay, I guess that settles it then. We’re gonna decline?”

You and Noora nod in unison, and Eva and Chris say “Yes”, shortly after one another.

Vilde nods as well and then puts down the piece of paper. “Okay, I will call Mari then.” She sighs deeply and turns to Chris again. “What kind of bus did you say you might be able to get?”

Chris sits up straighter and clears her throat. “Well, my uncle runs a used car business, so he might be able to hook us up. I’ll call him to check if he has something that could pass for a bus.”

Vilde claps excitedly. “Alright, that sounds good. Let us know as soon as possible.”

  
Noora takes a deep breath and bites her lower lip for a second before she says: “I might … I could ask someone for help, too. No promises though.”

Vilde’s eyes go wide gain and Eva gives Noora a warm smile. “Who?” Vilde wants to know, but Noora just giggles nervously.

“I don’t wanna jinx it! I’ll … I’ll let you know when I get a reply,” she says with a sideways look at Eva, who grins uneasily.  
You look from Noora to Eva and back again, trying to figure out what is going on between them.

 _What do you know that the rest of us don’t?_ you wonder, but by looking at Chris and Vilde you can tell that none of you want to ask.

  
Vilde shakes her head and writes something on her piece of paper before sitting up straighter and looking around at the four of you.

“Alright, it’s settled: We’re refusing Mari’s bus, and both Chris and Noora will see what they can find for us. This is good.”  
She looks almost cheerful now, and Noora pats her shoulder.

“Well said, boss.”

You all laugh at that, and Vilde even blushes a little. It doesn’t matter to you that she’s a little naive sometimes; Vilde is a good bus boss, and you really like her - most of the time at least.

  
Vilde puts her notes away and soon you are talking about the plans for this weekend. “I still can’t believe Sana’s brother and his friends are taking us out tomorrow,” Vilde trills and you have to suppress a groan.

“Mhm, that guy Adam seems to be really funny, “ Chris says, with a sideway glance to you. You grin back at her and take a handful of crisps from the bowl in front of you.

“He’s the clown of the group, I warn you. Don’t believe anything he says.”


	11. EPISODE 1: Thursday April 11th, 21:28: I’ll take your scraps

                                                                                                     ** _Noora Defense Squad_**

 

 _Vilde:       Ladies, don’t you think we should fix_  
_Noora up with one of the boys?_

 

 _Noora:    Hallo, I’m right here. And I say no_  
_thank you._ _  
_

  
                                                                                                  _Set-ups never work anyway. Plus I told_  
_you guys, they’re all useless._

 

 _Vilde:     I  don’t know, I think Yousef is pretty_  
_sweet, don’t you agree Noora?_

_Noora:    Nei. I mean, he’s nice and everything,_  
_but the last thing I need right now is_  
_another guy._

 

_Eva:       Hear hear!_

  
                                      _Chris:     I’ll take your scraps, Noora._

_Noora:    Hahahaha go ahead Chris._  
  
_....._


	12. EPISODE 1: Friday 12th April, 16:14: Insha'Allah

_**Mamma** _

                      _Are you coming to the mosque tonight?_

 

                                                                                _Sorry, I promised I’d go out with my friends._

 

                      _Okay. It’s just that Jamilla asked about you_  
                        _the other day._  
       

                                                                                   …  
                         

                    _I really think she’d like to hear from you._

 

_I don’t know what to say._

                       

                        _Insha’Allah you will find a way to talk_

_to her._

 

                                                                                _Insha’Allah._


	13. EPISODE 1: Friday 12th April, 19:58: No regrets?

“Brr, how is it still this cold in April?” Eva complains and wraps her shiny golden jacket more tightly around herself. Noora smiles warmly and hugs her, rubbing her upper arms.

“Awh, why are you wearing a summer jacket in spring?” she coos and Eva giggles, snuggling closer to Noora.

“It’s my cutest jacket, I wanted to look good.”

Noora taps Eva’s nose with her finger. “You always look cute, Eva.”

You smile at the two of them, wondering when Eva and Noora got so close. Vilde doesn't seem to notice though: She is jumping up and down, and you’re not sure if it’s because she’s cold or out of excitement.

“Is your brother usually on time, Sana?,” she asks you, and you have to fight the urge to roll your eyes.

“I think I told you my brother is not reliable, so no. Usually, he’s late, particularly when he’s with the boys.”

Vilde is about to say something, doubtlessly contradicting you, when Chris suddenly points to the other end of the square, chuckling quietly.

“Hello boys.”

You turn around on your heels and almost groan. Elias and the boys are actually here, walking towards you with matching gleeful expressions. Your brother winks at you, making you roll your eyes at him.

“Hey girls,” he says, smiling brightly and then the boys are greeting your friends with handshakes and hugs, as if you always hung out together, and you feel your heart sink, just when Yousef appears in front of you, smiling brightly.

“Hei Sana,” he says, and you can’t help but smile back at him.

“Hei Yousef.”

“Are you okay with the ten of us hanging out together?” he asks, biting his lower lip. “I imagine it’s a bit awkward for you.”

You shrug with a slow sigh. “What can I do?”

Yousef chuckles and you follow the others off the square. “You could kill us all, that would solve it.”

You laugh out loud, lightly shoving him. “My mum would never forgive me for killing Elias.”

Yousef sucks in a breath. “But you would kill me? No regrets?”

Pursing your lips, you grin at him, slowly shaking your head. “No, I wouldn’t kill you.”

Yousef’s warm laugh makes butterflies erupt in your stomach. “Oh, good, thank you.” He lets out a "phew", faking relief and winks, making your heartbeat speed up so much you almost feel dizzy. 

Somehow, you manage not to say something stupid in reply though. So you and Yousef keep walking in silence, observing the rest of the group laughing and joking in front of you, and just when you've gathered the courage to ask Yousef how things are going with his job, Elias turns around and frowns.

“Yousef, my man, come here,” he calls, and thankfully, Chris turns around at that and holds out her hand to you.

You catch up to her just as Yousef walks over to Elias and Chris puts her arm around your shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asks, and you feel a wave of affection for Chris. She is the only one of your friends who somehow always feels when you’re not at ease.

“Yeah, as long as none of you go home with my brother, I’m okay.”

Chris chuckles. “Well, I promised you I won’t touch him. Can’t vouch for Vilde though.”

That makes you both laugh, and then you’re already in front of the house you recognise as the building where Elias’ friend Unnar lives. They went to Elvebakken together and you should have known that the party would be at his house - Unnar’s parents both work abroad and are hardly ever at home.

The party is already in full swing and the boys start greeting people left and right while Vilde and Eva decide to go looking for booze. You’re about to ask Noora if you should go sit down somewhere when you realise you haven’t prayed Maghrib yet. The Adhan went off about an hour ago, and you have recently been trying to pray more regularly. With a deep sigh, you tell Noora and Chris that you need to go to the bathroom.

You find it at the end of the hallway, luckily empty. Performing Wudu, you already feel much calmer as the water trickles down your cheeks. You look at your reflection for moment, taking a deep breath to ground yourself and focus on your evening prayer. Back in the hallway, you pick the first closed door you see to open and peek inside the room. It’s a bedroom, and thankfully, no one’s inside.

You slip into the room, carefully closing the door behind you and then dig your phone out of your pocket. With the help of your praying app, you find out in which direction Makkah lies and even find a small carpet you can use as a prayer mat. You move the carpet with your foot so it points in the right direction and put your phone back in your pocket.

Taking another deep breath, you close your eyes, and then everything goes quiet.

 _Allah hu akbar_  
_Ashhadu al la ilaha illa-llah_  
_Ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasulu-llah_  
_..._

You’re about halfway through reciting the second Surah when the door burst open. You jump and open your eyes to find Vilde, Eva and Chris staring at you.

“What are you doing in here?” Vilde asks, looking confused.

You feel yourself blush and clear your throat, blinking a few times. “Uh, I just … needed a moment. What’s up?”

Vilde beams at you. “Come on, we have to show you something. We are such good friends!”

You frown at her and catch Eva’s eye. She looks annoyed, but also a little sad and you almost ask what’s wrong. But something in your gut tells you that’s a bad idea.

When you reach the doorway, Vilde grabs your wrist and pulls you out into the hall, almost making you trip over your long linen pants.

“Let go of me, Vilde,” you tell her and free yourself, but Vilde doesn’t seem to hear you.

She’s standing in the doorway to the living room and pointing to the middle of the room. “Just look, she’s finally getting over William, I can tell.”

Reluctantly, you follow Vilde’s gaze to see Noora sitting on a couch next to - your heart almost stops- Yousef. They’re talking animatedly, smiling broadly at each other, and if it wasn’t for Vilde staring at you as if today was Christmas and Easter combined, you would have cried out in despair.

_No, no, no, NO NOOOO!_


	14. GLOSSARY for EPISODE 2

**Fajr**

The early morning prayer, the first of the five daily ones. Muslims have time to pray it from shortly before sunrise unitl latest before the next prayer at around noon.

**Zaalouk**

A delicious Moroccan tomato and cucumber salad

**Masha'Allah**

"Allah willed it" or "Praise be to Allah." The expression is used to compliment someone's looks, their achievements or their character.

**Shokran**

"Thank you" in Arabic

**Jazakallah Khair**

"May Allah reward you." This phrase is used to thank someone from the bottom of your heart.

**Ramadan**

The fasting month. During 4 weeks, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day.


	15. EPISODE 2: Saturday 13th April, 10:13: Out of your league

You’ve just finished praying Fajr, but instead of peaceful, you still feel miserable about last night.

It shouldn’t have surprised you that Yousef is interested in Noora. You’ve heard many people say that she’s the prettiest girl in school, and she’s smart as well, so obviously, Yousef would be smitten with her from the first second. But it still hurts. You thought he was different from other boys, not solely focused on how a girl looks. Turns out you were wrong. Oh well, maybe it’s for the best - he is your brother’s best friend after all, and that was bound to cause trouble anyway.

Taking a deep breath, you shake your head as if to get rid of your negative thoughts. It doesn’t work, but you decide you might as well go to the kitchen to get a glass of juice.

You find Elias sprawled out on of the couches in the living room with his laptop on his stomach, apparently editing a video of him and the boys.

“Morning sister, can you bring me a glass of milk?” he asks, but you merely scoff at him, walking past the couch into the kitchen.

“You’re an adult, get it yourself.”

“Come on, Sana, you’re already there anyway. Be a good sister, please.”

You roll your eyes and poke your head out of the kitchen, already holding a glass in your hand. “You know, since you’re my slave this week, I should actually sit down and ask YOU to serve me.”

Elias holds up his hands in defeat. “True, I’m sorry. Forget I asked.”

Grinning to yourself, you open the fridge and pour yourself half a glass of juice before joining Elias in the living room, sitting down opposite him.

He sits up after a while, closing his laptop and looking up at you. “So, last night was fun eh?”

You almost wince but manage to swallow around the lump in your throat. “I guess,” you say, shrugging slightly and taking a swig of juice.

Elias grins and nods. “The boys were delighted to meet your friends. Particularly Noora, she’s pretty hot.”

_You mean Yousef thinks she’s hot._

Biting the inside of your cheek, you hesitate for a moment before you reply. “Yeah, I think she’s a bit out of your league.”

Elias chuckles and shakes his head. “According to you, _every_ girl is out of my league.”

“True,” you say, grinning bravely.

“Well, we should definitely hang out together again, don’t you think?” Elias goes on.

You empty the rest of your juice and get to your feet. “We’ll see. I have to ask the girls if they even _want_ to see you again.”

Elias bursts out laughing and you’re glad you’re already in the kitchen again when he calls: “Well, Noora talked to Yousef all night and they laughed a lot, so I guess our chances are pretty good.”

You put your glass in the dishwasher and take a deep breath to calm yourself down.

“Don’t count on it,” you call back, hoping your voice isn’t trembling as much as your hands


	16. EPISODE 2: Saturday 13th April, 17:18: Dodged a bullet

The second you start bouncing the ball on the concrete of the playground, you feel better. Similar to praying, playing basketball always helps you to stop thinking. You can forget space and time and focus only on the ball and your breathing.

You’ve just hit the hoop again and are about to run forward to get the ball, when you stop dead in your tracks, sucking in your breath.

Yousef is standing next to the hoop, smirking at you with the ball in his hands.

“Hey,” he croaks, scratching the back of his neck and you have to bite back a smile.

“Hey,” you say, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

“Can I … can I play with you?” he asks hesitantly, and when you raise your eyebrows at him, he quickly adds: “I’m not stupid enough to challenge you to a one-on-one, I just want to see how useless I really am.”

In spite of yourself, you laugh and nod slowly. “What did you have in mind?”

He throws the ball back at you and raises both eyebrows. “I could try and get the ball from you?”

You look down at your feet to hide the fact that you’re blushing. “Uh, okay,” you say hesitantly and turn around to make sure your brother isn’t about to show up. The last thing you need is Elias walking on you and Yousef fighting for your ball.

“The boys are at Mikael’s to borrow his brother’s basketball,” Yousef says as if he were reading your mind.

You look up at him with a grin. “Are they now?”

Yousef giggles. “Yeah, I guess Elias didn’t want to run the risk of you catching us using your ball again.”

You nod appreciatively. “Good for him.” And then you start bouncing the ball, throwing a challenging look at Yousef. “So are you ready?”

He lets out a nervous laugh, rubbing his hands together. And then he suddenly runs at you, diving for the ball in such an obvious move you have to stifle a laugh as you turn around, easily evading him.

Yousef groans and almost stumbles over his own feet, but then he tries again. This time, he approaches you from behind and you feel his breath in your neck. You have to focus on the sound of the ball hitting the ground to stay on top of your game. Yousef reaches past you in an attempt to grab the ball and you easily switch hands. However, Yousef’s hand brushes your ribs when he pulls back, making you shiver.

After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Yousef gives up.

“Damn, you’re too good, girl,” he pants, taking off his snapback to run his fingers through his hair.

You’re panting too, though not as hard, and you’re not entirely sure it’s just because of the -relatively minor - efforts it took you to block Yousef’s attacks.

“Thank you, I train two times a week for a reason,” you tell him with a wink, picking up your ball and nervously turning it over and over in your hands.

Yousef laughs and puts his hands on his knees, looking at his shoes. If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear he’s hiding a blush.

When he looks back up at you, his warm smile sends a shiver down your spine. His eyes don’t leave yours when he says. “Maybe I should train with you to get better.”

You swallow hard and clear your throat. “Uh, I’m not sure I have time to teach a hopeless case like yourself.”

“Ah, well. Too bad.”, Yousef says dejectedly and takes a few steps back. You’re about to tell him he can train with you here on weekends when you hear the boys coming around the corner. Yousef’s eyes go wide and he turns around to wave at them.

“Over here, boys,” he calls and you move away from Yousef, making sure Elias doesn’t get the wrong idea.

“Where else would you be?” Adam says as he arrives on the playground, waving at you. “Hey Sana!”

Mikael, Mutta and Elias follow close behind, chattering animatedly. Mikael is carrying a beat-up looking basketball, and you decide you’re not going to stick around to watch them try and fail to play.

“I’ll leave you to it,” you tell them and wave at the five of them. Mikael laughs and nudges Elias’ shoulder with his own.

“Look, you just dodged a bullet. If Sana played with us you’d end up being her slave for the rest of the year.”

Elias protest, and you resist the urge to look back to see Yousef laughing. The sound of his laugh however follows you until the back door swings shut behind you. Halfway up the stairs, you stand still for a second, shaking your head.

 _It’s nothing, get a grip, Sana. He was just being nice._ You take a deep breath and try to steady yourself. But the grin on your face doesn’t go away, not even when you find  
your mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

“Hello,” you say and hug her shoulders.

“Hey Sana,” Mamma says and leans her head against yours briefly, her hands busy cutting tomatoes. “How was it?”

You freeze for a second, thinking she’s asking about Yousef, when you remember she can’t know who you were with just a minute ago. “Uh, it was good, I’ll just … put the ball away, be right with you.” The words tumble out of your mouth a bit too quickly, but you’re already on your way to your room.

Dropping the ball on your bed, you sigh deeply and close your eyes for a second. _Focus. Don’t let_  
_Mamma notice what’s up with you_. You open your eyes again and turn on your heels, walking back to the kitchen.

“Sorry,” you tell your mother, but she just smiles warmly, a slight frown on her face.

“What for?”

You ignore her question, instead asking one back. “What’s for dinner?”

Mamma slides the tomato cubes she just finished cutting into a bowl and sets it back down. “Zaalouk with fresh bread”, she says and you gasp with excitement.

“Yes, great!,” you hug your mother’s waist. “Something to look forward to.”

Mamma laughs and leans her head back to look at you. “Have you spoken to Jamilla yet?”

You let go of her with an exasperated sigh. “No, mamma.”

Mamma puts up her hands in defense and then reaches for an eggplant in the basket on the counter.

“I just think she misses you, and I know you miss her, too,” she says, her voice warm and kind, and you nod slowly, biting your lower lip.

“I guess I could try to text her,” you offer hesitatingly.

“Yes. I’m sure she would be delighted to hear from you, even if you just ask how she is doing.”

Nodding again, you put a hand on your mother’s arm and take a deep breath. “Okay, I will try.”


	17. EPISODE 2: Sunday 14th April, 11:37: Trouble in Paradise

**_Isak_ **

  
_Do you know the difference between_  
_Osmosis and Metamorphosis?_

 

 _One has to do with biology and the other means_  
_transformation” in Greek, why?_

 

 _You are correct  Is everything cool_  
_with you?_

 

 _Yeah, thanks, I’m good. And you? How’s the_  
_new flat?_

 

 _Too many boxes, but we’re getting_  
_there._

 

 _Still getting along with Even? No trouble in_  
_paradise yet?_

 

_Nah, he’s too good for me, as always._

 

_Awwh, aren’t you cute._

_Sooo have you read the stuff for_  
_biology already?_

 

_Yes. You?_

_I haven’t had time. Do you think I_  
_could borrow your notes?_

 

_You have an entire week of holidays_

_to catch up with homework. Why would_

_you need my notes?_

 

_We're going skiing with Even's parents_

_on Thursday and until then we'll_

_need at least two days to unpack the_

_rest_ _of the boxes. I don't think I'll_

_have_ _enough time._

 

                                                                               

_Fine, you caught me, I don't understand_

_the difference between directional and_

_stabilising selection ... and I know_

_you rock at it._

 

_AHA!_

 

_Please, Sana?_

_Say I were to lend you my notes ..._

_What are you offering in return?_

 

_How about a home-cooked dinner?_

 

_Whose cooking?_

 

_Who do you think?_

 

_You’re using your boyfriend’s cooking_

_skills_ _to get my biology notes?_

 

_Well, are you accepting the_

_offer?_

 

_I can’t refuse, now can I? You keep singing_

_Even’s_ _praises, I have to check if what you_

_say is true._

 

_Alright then! I'll buy you a coffee_

_at KB tomorrow? Say, 08:30?_

 

_Uh, hello early bird?  But okay, if you're_

_buying I'll_ _be there at 08:30, Isabel._

 

_Thanks a ton, Sanasol._


	18. EPISODE 2: Sunday 14th April, 18:32: Is it a code?

Where do you want this one?” Eva asks, holding up a framed photo of a beautiful park. Noora looks up at it and smiles at Eva.

“Ah, that one would fit over here, don’t you think?” she says and points to a spot over her bed.

Noora invited you and the girls to help her hang some pictures in her room. Vilde declined, saying she’s meeting Magnus and Chris is visiting her grandmother, so it’s just you, Noora and Eva. You’re looking through some photos of you guys from the past year, trying to decide which ones Noora should put in a big frame to hang up above her desk.

“Yes,” Eva agrees, and both she and Noora move over to the bed, Noora grabbing the hammer and a nail from the desk on her way.

You laugh suddenly, holding up a picture you took together last year in a photo booth in the city. Eva and Chris are pulling awesome grimaces, while Vilde, Noora and you are laughing. It’s the kind of picture that reminds you why you’re friends with those four lunatics.

“I love this one,” Noora says and laughs as well. Eva frowns at the photo for a moment and scoffs.

“How is it you love every picture where I pull a face?”

Noora giggles and squeezes Eva’s shoulder. “I think you look good in every picture.”

“Right,” Eva scoffs again, evidently not convinced.

Five minutes later, the framed photo of the park - Noora explains it’s Park Güell in Barcelona, where she went on vacation a few times while she lived in Madrid - is hung at the wall and you’ve picked ten photos for the big frame. Noora looks at your choices and smiles contently.

“I like your picks,” she says and pats your shoulder. Then, she turns around and looks at you and Eva. “Are you guys hungry? I bought stuff to make this Spanish dish my friend from Madrid says I have to try.”

Eva squeals excitedly. “Yes, I’m starving! Plus, mamma isn’t coming back until tomorrow.”

Noora turns to you and you smile kindly at her. “Sure, if you have enough for all of us?”

Clapping her hands together, Noora nods and turns on her heels to head to the kitchen.

 _Insha’Allah it’s a vegetarian dish_ , you think and follow Eva out of Noora’s room.

While Eva gets three plates from one of the cupboards and walks out into the living room, you open the fridge and ask Noora what she needs.

“Uh, I’ll need sour cream, butter and the minced meat from the second shelf, please,” Noora says and you hand the three items to her, your stomach sinking. The minced meat is beef, of course.

You’re going to have to pick it off your plate. It’s in moments like this you curse yourself for not being braver. You wish you could just tell the girls why you can’t eat certain foods, but you’re afraid they will look at you differently if you do.

You take a deep breath and turn back to Noora, who has already turned on the stove and is chopping an onion.

Moments later, she pours some olive oil into the pan and adds the onion cubes, but suddenly she’s frowning. “Damn, I can’t remember if I have to add garlic to this.” She chews her lower lip for a second and then calls out to the living room: “Eva, can you check my computer real quick? I need the recipe.”

“Yep,” Eva calls from the hallway and seconds later: “Uh, what’s your password?”

“Experfive,” Noora calls, making you frown. _What the heck?_

Eva seems to think the same. “What?” she calls, and Noora giggles amusedly, looking at you.

“Go help her, it’s E-x-p-e-r and the number five. I will lose my voice if I have to dictate it to Eva from here.”

You smirk at her, biting back a comment about Noora’s weird choice of password and walk out of the kitchen.

Eva’s sitting cross-legged on the floor in Noora’s room, the laptop on her knees, scowling at the screen. “What did she say the password was?” she asks and hands you the computer as you kneel down next to her.

“E-x-p-e-r-5,” you spell out, making Eva frown.

“So I did hear it right. What the fuck?” she giggles.

“Tell me about it,” you agree as Noora’s home screen is loading.

“I can hear you girls mocking me from here, you know,” Noora calls from the kitchen, making you and Eva laugh.

“Well, you have to admit it’s a weird password, how did you come up with that?” Eva calls back, craning her neck in direction of Noora’s voice.

“Where is the recipe?” you ask and Eva repeats the question loudly for Noora to hear.

“On my email, it’s my hotmail account and the password is the same,” Noora all but yells, making both you and Eva laugh again.

Two minutes later, Eva has found the recipe and prints it out. You get to your feet to grab the recipe from the Printer and bring it to Noora who is already mixing tomato cubes with the onions.

You peer at the top of the page and then hand it to Noora with a frown. “It’s all in Spanish.”

“Yes, I told you it’s from my friend in Madrid, she doesn’t speak Norwegian,” Noora laughs and takes one look at the recipe.

“Phew, no garlic. I’m glad,” she says and then points to the fridge. “There should be some fresh basil in there, can you check?”

You grin at her with a nod. “Yes, master chef.”

Noora giggles as Eva joins the two of you and hooks her chin on Noora’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around her. “Smells good,” she murmurs, sniffing the steam coming from the pan.

You put the basil on the counter next to Noora, who gently disengages herself from Eva’s embrace, waving her arms as if to say _“I need space!”_

“Thanks, Sana.”

You nod at her and then lean at the wall opposite the stove with a comfortable sigh, watching Noora cook and listening to Eva tease Noora about her password. “Are you trying to hint at something? Is it a code?”

Sure, sometimes you feel out of touch with your friends. But right now, you feel happy and content.

You’re just gonna have to think of an excuse why you can’t eat the minced meat.


	19. EPISODE 2: Monday 15th April, 08:32: I owe you, Sanasol

Elias has just dropped you off outside the Kaffebrenneriet on Skovveien and you watch him drive away with a content smirk. Today’s the only day you’ve actually used him as your ‘slave’, but it was totally worth it: You got to wake him up and he couldn’t chase you away without breaking his word. And you know it was wrong, but you really enjoyed watching him drag himself out of bed and cursing his former self for challenging you to a basketball game.

Isak is already waiting for you outside the coffee shop, smiling shyly when you approach him.

“Hey,” he says, suppressing a yawn.

“Morning.” You smile at him, debating for a moment whether or not you should tease Isak about being tired although he was the one who suggested to meet this early. But since he's the first smiling face you've encoutered today, you decide against it, instead asking: “How is the unpacking going?”

Isak shrugs, huffing out a laugh. “We're taking it easy. Even is still asleep and until I get him out of bed it will be late afternoon, so ...”

You frown at him and walk past Isak as he's holding the door open for you. “Are you planning to spend the entire holiday unpacking?”

“Well, no, I told you, Even's folks are taking us skiing on Thursday. And I do hope we get the weekend to ourselves.” The cheeky grin on Isak’s face makes you wish you hadn’t asked.

"No details please,” you stop him, holding up a hand.

Isak chuckles again, slightly shaking his head while the two of you get in the line behind the counter. “We're gonna cook and watch some movies, what did you think?”

 

Groaning exasperatedly, you set your hands at your hips and try to glower at him. It’s but a fruitless try though because it's all you can do not to giggle. “So do you still need my biology notes or what?” you ask him then, raising both eyebrows.

Isak nods, a hopeful expression on his face. “Please? You’ll get them back next Monday, I promise.”

Trying hard to hide a grin, you hand him your notes in a folder. “Sounds good.”

“Awesome, thanks. I owe you, Sanasol,” Isak says, trying- and failing to wink at you.

“If you say so, Isabell,” you tell him, and with another chuckle, Isak then turns to the barista to order two large cups of coffee

 

The two of you sit down at the high table at the window, talking about Isak and Even's move and the upcoming exams for a while, sharing your expectations and worries for the rest of the semester. As always, talking to Isak is easy, even fun most of the time. The two of you have a similar sense of humour, and although you are very different, you are both not what most people would call normal. Around Isak, you can be yourself without feeling self-conscious, and you're incredibly grateful for that.

However, you would bite your tongue off before telling him that.


	20. EPISODE 2: Tuesday, 16th April, 14:56: That's not okay!

The girls are all sitting at one of the tables in Vulkan park already by the time you get there. You've agreed to meet up ot hang out, since none of you really have any plans during the Easter holidays. 

“So, are you guys in or what?” you hear Vilde ask as you approach their table. Noora and Eva smile warmly at you and Chris bumps her fist to yours.

You sit down next to Eva who briefly touches your arm and then turns back to Vilde, a frown on her face.

“You mean you want us to go to a party the Pepsi Max Gang is throwing?” Eva asks and you stare first at her and then at Vilde, who is nodding slowly.

“Yes. I texted with Ingrid last night, and I think she still feels kind of bad about how they acted towards us last year or something.”

You frown incredulously and look over at Noora, who stares at Vilde as if she suggested you go Bungee Jumping. “Vilde, those girls ... they’re not exactly the kind of crowd we want to hang out with, to put it lightly?” she says, waving her hand in front of Vilde’s face as if to wake her up from a trance.

“I agree with Noora,” you say, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “Those girls are not to be trusted.”

Chris looks at the four of you and then shrugs, an unimpressed expression on her face. “I don’t care to be honest. A party’s a party, no?”

Eva frowns at first but then her face lights up and she grins at Chris. “You know what? You’re right. Let’s go drink their booze and steal their boys.”

Noora sighs and looks from Eva to Chris and back with a shocked expression. “Seriously?”

Eva bumps her fist to Chris’s and turns to smile at Noora. “What? It’s not like we are actually fighting with them? And if Vilde says we’re invited anyway, why not go and take advantage of it?”

“Actually,” Vilde pipes up and pulls a face, sitting up a little straighter. “Ingrid said the party is at Sara’s house and she imposed the rule that if a group of girls shows up together without dates, they have to bring the same amount of boys to get in ...”

She bites her lower lip and then turns to look at you. The second you meet her eye, you already know what she’s going to say. “Oh no, you’re not thinking of asking my brother and his goons to join?” you growl at her, making Chris giggle slightly.

Vilde is still biting her lip and looks down at her hands before she meets your eye again. You see it in her face before she says it.

“Uh, I kind of ... already asked Elias?”

 

You slap your hand on the table, making Eva jump. “How could you? He’s my brother, Vilde! And you’re using him to get us into some party with the Pepsi Max Gang without asking me first? That’s not okay!”

Vilde looks scared by the time you’re done talking, making you regret your outburst immediately. “I’m sorry,” she says quietly, and you try to smile apologetically at her although you’re still angry.

“It’s ... fine, I guess. Just don’t be surprised if they don’t show. We got lucky on Friday, I don’t expect them to be this reliable twice in a row.”

Vilde sighs with relief and reaches across the table to touch your arm. “Thank you, Sana.”

She then looks at Noora and Eva. “I think this might be a chance for us to make peace with the Pepsi Max Gang. Who knows, maybe they’re actually really nice and just acted mean last year for some reason?”

You and Noora exchange a look, smiling at each other, and you’re pretty sure you think the same thing. Out loud you say: “Just wait for my brother to reply to you first. They might have other plans anyway.”

 

 

 


	21. EPISODE 2: Tuesday, 16th April, 19:26: On board

**_Noora Defense Squad_ **

 

_Vilde:         Ladies, the boys are on board! We_

_are going to the Pepsi Max party!_

 

_Chris:        Great! Are there any other weird rules_

_besides the "bring as many boys as_

_there are girls in your group " one?_

 

_Vilde:        No, that's the only rule._

 

_Wrong. One more rule: No one goes_

_home with my brother!_

 

_Eva:         Fine by me. Adam's cuter anyway._

 

_Noora:     I will be going home alone._

 

_Chris:      I promised you Sana, I won't touch_

_your brother. Scout's honour!_

 

_Vilde:     Well I have Magnus anyway, so..._

 

_Eva:       So that's settled then? We're going to_

_Sara's house on Friday? Damn, there's_

_something I never thought I'd say ever_

_again..._

_Noora:    You can still change your mind, Eva. It's_

_not like we have to spend every Friday_

_night out drinking and chasing boys._

 

_Hear hear, Noora_


	22. EPISODE 2: Tuesday 16th April, 19:35: Stick together

**_Noora_ **

 

_Sana, I swear if even one of those_

_girls so much at looks at me_

_wrong, I'll leave instantly. Are you_

_with me?_

 

_Oh hell yes!_

 

_I might be too judgmental, but_

_I can't just forgive what they_

_did to Eva. If it becomes too terrible_

_I'll treat you and Eva to a kebab okay?_

_Unless that interferes with your plan_

_to eat less meat?_

 

_Sounds good. I can eat falafel  Count me_

_in. Thanks Noora!_

 

  _Us sane ladies have to stick_

_together!_


	23. EPISODE 2: Wednesday, 17th April, 15:43: Play fair

 

 

You are on your way back home from the store - Mamma sent you to get some milk and butter for the pie she's making - when you suddenly spot Yousef outside your house.

 

For a moment, you consider hiding, but then Yousef looks up from his phone and spots you, waving excitedly.

 

"Hey Sana, how are you?"

 

Smiling awkwardly, you cross the road and try to seem casual. "Bored, to be honest. Nothing's happening this week," you say with a shrug, trying to ignore the rapid beating of your heart.

 

Yousef laughs that sweet, high-pitched laugh of his, and just hearing it makes your knees turn into butter. "Ah, you're bored? No basketball games during the Easter holidays, huh?"

He's clearly trying to tease you but the insecure grin on his face makes you chuckle. "Nah, they give us breaks from kicking ass every now and then," you give back, grinning at him. Your own confidence surprises you, yet it's gone the second Yousef's eyes meet yours.

"Speaking of basketball," he says, his voice suddenly a little lower. "I want a rematch."

 

You swallow hard and suddenly realise how close you're standing to Yousef. You can almost feel his breath on your face, and although you know you should move away, it's like your feet are rooted to the ground.

 

"Why?" you eventually manage to ask, grateful to notice your voice isn't shaking as much as your knees.

 

Yousef flashes you a lopsided grin and takes a step back, inclining his head to the side. "You didn't play fair on Saturday."

 

That almost makes you drop your shopping bag. "Excuse me? Should I have dropped the ball on purpose or what?"

 

Yousef giggles and you could swear he's blushing slightly. "Uh, for one thing, your laugh kept distracting me."

 

"What's wrong with my laugh?" you shoot back, hating that you instantly sound defensive. You can't stand it when people criticise parts of you that you feel you can't or don't want to change, and although you're sure Yousef doesn't mean it, his words trigger a defense mechanism you can't control.

 

"Nothing at all," Yousef hurries to say, his voice soft and quiet. It's obvious he picked up on the fact that he hit a sore spot. "That's the problem, actually."

 

You feel the walls that went up in your mind earlier crumble to dust in your mind. "Aha," you reply, smiling hesitantly at him, and then you have no idea what else to say.

 

Yousef giggles nervously, removing his snapback and running a hand through his hair. Finally, he clears his throat and looks up into your eyes again.

 

"So... About the rematch?"

Breathing a sigh of relief at the change of topic, you grin at him, and then pretend to be thinking hard.

 

"I'll need to ask my agent," you tell him finally, and both of you laugh at that.

 

 _"_ You do that," Yousef says then, clearing his throat and waving his phone in front of his own face. "I'll ... Do you know where the boys are?

 

Pursing your lips, you nod curtly. "I think they're hanging out in Adam's backyard."

Yousef clicks his tongue and starts walking off in the direction you're pointing to. "Figured. So... you'll tell me what your agent said?"

It takes you a moment to realise what he means to remember your own joke from ten seconds ago. Blinking two times fast, you nod with what you hope is a confident smile. "Yup, will do."

You somehow manage to return Yousef's cheerful smile as he disappears around the corner calling "See you, Sana." Luckily he doesn't see you rolling your eyes at your own silliness. Surely you could have come up with something wittier to say???

With a helpless shrug, you then turn towards the entrance of your building. Putting away the groceries in the fridge, you kiss your mother's cheek before locking yourself in your room. You dig your phone out of your pocket and almost gasp at the notification at the top of your screen.

 

_Yousef Acar sent you a friend request._

 

Taking a deep breath, you shake your head and walk across the room to get your basketball. Before you deal with _that_ you're going to need some air.

 

 

 


	24. EPISODE 2: Wednesday, 17th April, 16:52: FUUCK!

 

You have just left he playground when you get a text from Isak.

 

_Hey, don't you live somewhere near_

_Urraparken?_

 

Frowning at your phone, you hesitate for a second. Then, you tuck your ball under your arm and type back.

 

                                                        _Sort of, yeah. Why?_

 

Isak replies almost immediately.

 

    _Oh, good. Can I come by and return_

_your notes? I was at Magnus' s place_

_and still have them with me._

You don't like the idea of Isak coming to your home, particularly because there's a big chance the boys are all hanging there. Of course, you're pretty sure Isak has no idea who they are, but you're not willing to take the risk.

 

Biting your lower lip, you think for a moment before replying again.

 

                                                        _I can meet you on my way home._

_Where are you right now?_

 

You're not sure where exactly Magnus lives, but you're pretty sure it's close to the dentist's university bus stop. All you can hope is that Isak hasn't walked too far yet.

 

    _I'm waiting for the bus outside_

_the dentist's university._

 

Grinning at your phone with relief, you type back quickly.

 

                                                       _I'm right around the corner, meet_

_you there in five minutes._

 

It doesn't take you five minutes, and Isak makes a point of telling you as much when you walk up to him.

 

"Are you stalking me, Sanasol? You were here way too fast."

 

"You wish," you grumble, unable to stop yourself from grinning back at him though.

 

Chuckling quietly, Isak then takes off his backpack and unzips it, pulling the folder with your notes from it with a proud grin.

 

"I got it all into my head in less than two days," he declares proudly.

 

"I'm proud of you," you tease him, your voice dripping with sarcasm. In a normal tone you add: "Are you excited for the skiing weekend?"

 

"Eeh," Isak shrugs, making a face. "I don't mind Even's parents, but I'm not exactly very good at skiing. If I'm limping on Monday you'll know why."

 

"Better break your leg than a hand with the exams coming up," you say with a nonchalant shrug, but instead of being offended, Isak gives you a questioning look.

 

"Speaking of exams, do you know when we have the biology test exam?"

 

With a deep sigh, you dig your phone out of your pocket. "Let me check."

 

"Not looking forward to that one either, are you?" Isak teases, but you just scoff.

 

"I'll be ready, don't worry." You open your calendar and soon find the exam date. "31st May," you tell him, closing the calendar app again.

 

Looking up at Isak, you expect him to make some kind of remark about how he's going to die, although he has more than a month left to study. Instead you find him still staring at your phone. Following his gaze, you feel a cold shiver run down your spine.

_Fuuuuuck._

You didn't realise that your facebook app was still open, with Yousef's profile showing on the screen. Snatching your phone away, you quickly stuff it into your pocket. But just when you're about to tell Isak you were just asking Elias's friends to make sure your brother doesn't get too drunk, Isak clears his throat.

 

"Uh, is that Mikael?"

 

 _Mikael?_ For a moment, you're confused, but then you remember that Yousef has a picture of himself and Mikael as his icon.

 

"Yeah, he knows my brother," you say curtly and then mumble something about having to hurry home for dinner.

 

Isak nods absent-mindedly, but you can tell he's debating whether or not to ask you something.

 

Before he can do that, you wave at him and call "See you next week" over your shoulder before all but running off.

 

"See you," Isak calls after you, but you hardly hear him over your internal screams. 


	25. EPISODE 2: Thursday, 18th April, 18:28: SMS Roulette

You reach the café Vilde suggested just in time. A part of you is hoping for a quiet, uneventful dinner with the girls. But as soon as you walk up to the table, you already know you will have no such luck.

Vilde is chattering excitedly, and when she sees you, she flashes you her brightest smile and  
announces:  
“Hi Sana! Your brother chatted with me yesterday.”

Rolling your eyes, you sit down between Chris and Noora, who are both smiling at you with a mix of amusement and secondhand embarrassment. "I know, he bragged about getting along with my friends better than me, so thanks for that." You try to sound more sarcastic than angry, but judging by the look on Vilde's face, you failed spectacularly.

Clearing your throat, you smile your warmest smile at Vilde then. “What did he say?” you ask, and as if nothing was wrong, Vilde's face lights up again.

“He asked for nudes,” she giggles as if it were the funniest thing ever. Both you and Noora stare at  
her in disgust while Eva and Chris just burst out laughing.

“Seriously?” Noora asks and reaches out to touch Vilde’s arm. “That’s not funny, Vilde!” But Vilde just shakes her head and pulls out her phone.

“It’s okay, he sent me this afterwards, apparently it was for a video they made.” You frown and lean forward to get a good look at Vilde’s phone.

_Right, the boys think they’re youtubers now_. You roll your eyes and sit back down.

“I told you, they’re all idiots.” Looking at Yousef's face, you can't help but smile to yourself for a second before you remember what happened the last time you looked him up on social media. Isak had seen a picture of Yousef and the boys on your phone last night. He hasn't texted you about it, but you suppose that's only a matter of time.

Eva laughs and pats your shoulder. “Come on, Sana, I know you have to think that of your brother, but you should watch the video. It really is kind of funny.”

You roll your eyes at her and force a smile while picking up the menu lying in front of you. “I see my brother and his goons enough at home, I don’t have to watch videos of them.” _Besides, the last thing I need is you girls catching me blush at the sight of Yousef._

“But Eva, do you think I should tell Magnus about this?” Vilde interjects, suddenly looking worried.

“No, he won’t ever see this anyway,” Eva replies, and you bite back a comment like _“if you don’t want your boyfriend to think you're cheating, don’t reply to my brother asking for nudes.”_

Noora clears her throat and turns to you. “Are all your brother’s friends this cheeky?”

Scoffing slightly, you roll your eyes again. “Uh, yes, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“Oh well, I don’t know, at least Yousef seems to be kind of ... sane?” Noora giggles and your blood turns to ice.

 _Of fucking course_. That’s what you get for introducing your friends to your crush.

“Erm, sure, if you think so,” you mumble and add something about having to go to the bathroom. You hear Chris calling after you if you're okay, but you don't stop until you've locked yourself into one of the stalls and sat down on the toilet seat. Closing your eyes, you try to somehow focus on the fact that you were kidding yourself anyway. It's not like Yousef was ever going to fall for you, and even if, there was no way Elias wouldn't kill both of you.

So really, you should be glad that Noora is falling in love with him. You have no idea why you're even upset.

However you do know that there is no way you'll eat a single bite tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Do you like this? Yes? No? Let me know!
> 
> Come find me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sanaseasonrewrite) or [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sanas4rewrite/?hl=en)


End file.
